


Choking on the Past

by TheLadyStrange



Series: Stephen Strange Bingo (Round One) [5]
Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Doctor Strange (Comics), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Death of Thanos, Endgame Fix-It, Gen, Mention of blood, Not betad, no description beyond that
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-07
Updated: 2019-09-07
Packaged: 2020-10-11 20:43:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20552408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLadyStrange/pseuds/TheLadyStrange
Summary: Stephen Strange's return, two years after the Snap, was rather strange.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Started out as a fill for  
StephenStrangeBingo square "Humor"  
Not sure how well I managed, humor is not my usual genre.

**2 Years Post-Snap**

Natasha’s life had become slower. Over the last two years the Compound had become empty, first as everyone left to search for a way to undo what Thanos had done. Later it grew empty as they lost hope and left; trying to forget their failure. Natasha had been one to search constantly at first and later she became a central location to keep track of information. Many days she felt lonely, but with the presence of Carol’s flerkin Goose, she had a warm body to cuddle at night and a constant reminder that she wasn’t really alone.

It had perhaps been unnerving to have the not-cat around, but as the Compound grew more and more empty Natasha was thankful to have her there. And while it was true that Natasha still had not figured out just what to feed Goose; the catfood, and the dish it had been served in, dutifully disappeared daily.

This morning had begun the same as every other day over the last year, Nat waking up to Goose’s forceful headbutt to her chin. She fed Goose, quietly made herself some breakfast, and then checked all communications for anything to have come in overnight. Aside from an alert of Clint’s location, the archer had begun to travel the world in search of some sort of purpose, there was nothing to pull her attention. She sat back in her chair, sighing as she looked out the large windows to see the barest hint of leaves on the trees and no wind at all. She lost herself in the stagnant view until she heard choking.

Alarmed Nat jumped to her feet and rushed down the hall to find Goose, hunched over in the middle of the corridor. For a split second she wondered if Goose was choking before she checked her thoughts. Most likely, it was just a furball, Nat had seen the flerkin clean itself the same as all Earth cats.

“Come on Goose, cough it up.” She ran a hand over the flerkin’s back, long since over the cat’s unearthly nature. “You can do it.”

And Goose certainly did.

With a sticky, tentacle thrash so sudden it sent Nat reeling back, Goose coughed up a man. After licking her chops Goose promptly moved forward to groom the man’s black and white hair. 

Natasha stared.

She knew that man, had seen him before.

“F.R.I.D.A.Y. is that?”

“It is Doctor Strange, Agent Romanoff. Last seen on Titan by Mr. Stark before he vanished with the rest of the Lost.”

Nat darted forward, resting a hand on the man’s throat and searching desperately for a pulse. It was slow, but there.

“F.R.I.D.A.Y”

“Medical has already been alerted and is on their way.” Nat remained kneeling in the hall until they arrived, watching Goose calmly groom the unconscious man, somewhat in shock at the strange turn of events.

When Doctor Cho had gotten the man up onto a gurney and headed for the medical bay, Nat headed to the communications hub to contact the others. Assured by Cho that the man would survive, they merely had to wait for him to wake up. Steve and the others were shocked at her news. Two years and suddenly one of the Lost was back. Carol was stunned into a complete silence at the thought that Goose had expelled a live individual, the first she had ever heard of.

“Goose, threw him up?” When Carol did finally get over her shock she sought information. “And you are certain he is the same Doctor Strange that was on Titan with Stark? A man that Goose had never met?”

“Yes, Goose threw him up. But no, I have not gotten hold of Tony to confirm it really is the same man.” Nat ran a hand through her hair and turned to Steve. “We need to get Tony here to confirm his identity. If he really is the same Doctor, this changes everything we thought we knew about the Decimation.”

“I agree.” Steve stood slowly, sighing heavily at the thought of having to speak with Tony again. It would be the first time they were face to face since Tony returned to Earth with Carol. “I’ll head out now. See if I can get Tony here before the guy wakes up.”

Nat and Carol went down to the medical bay when Steve left, Nat to see what Cho had to say and Carol to see the guy in person instead of just a digital photo. He was awake when they got there, a little disoriented, but sitting up as Cho looked him over. He was much thinner than in the photos they had of him, but he was dressed the same. The blue tunic lay draped over a chair, replaced by a hospital gown, and the red Cloak they had heard so much about was curled like a snake on the seat of the chair.

When they entered the room fully, his vibrant blue eyes darted to them, stopping on Carol.

“Captain Danvers, it is good to finally meet you in person. Miss Romanov your haircut looks very nice.” The two women shared a glance, Doctor Cho looking at them in hopes they had an idea of what was going on. They did not. “I must speak with Tony Stark. He is the only one capable of reversing the Snap.”

“We sent someone for him. You will have to forgive us though, Doctor, if we don’t take you at your word.”

“Of course, that is certainly reasonable. Let’s see. Mr. Barton is currently in Argentina, Mr. Rogers is on his way to speak with Stark for the first time since you, Captain Danvers, rescued both him and Nebula from their powerless ship, and Goose is currently in the gym chewing on one of the treadmills.”

“I can confirm the last part, Agent Romanov.” F.R.I.D.A.Y.’s voice interjected into the silence that followed Doctor Strange’s string of statements. “Additionally, Mr.Barton just checked in to say that he is in Argentina, but heard that we have some interesting news.”

Nat and Carol were thoroughly convinced. Stark had spoken of the man looking forward in time and this proved it in their minds. Doctor Strange however refused to say anything more on the subject of the Snap until Tony arrived. Until they heard from Steve, who was still on his way to Stark, the doctor relaxed on his medical bed. Seeming to go to sleep in an instant. Leaving Carol and Nat to silently decide to take up a watch of Goose, wondering if the flerkin was hiding any more of their friends.


	2. Chapter 2

Tony practically marched through the Compound, going straight by Carol and Nat where they were lying on the floor with Goose, and straight to the elevator. He had come, yes, but he refused to say anything more to Steve. Leaving the man to fill the silence with random statements about the weather and how Nat and Clint were doing. Once he reached the medical floor though, he found himself dragging his feet. He wanted the man to be there, to have proof the Lost weren’t gone forever, but at the same time he feared there wouldn’t be away to get them all back. 

He had to take a deep breath before he could take the last step and see into the medical room, and when he did it all gushed back out. Relief and hope warring in his chest as Doctor Strange turned to look at him with vibrant blue eyes.

“Hello, Tony.” Tony found himself gliding forward at the soft baritone, the sound ringing in his memories. “I have much to tell you. And you alone.”

“Get out.”

“Tony, we don’t know anything about this guy!”

“I said, get out Rogers.” Tony glared at the man, tipping his head to Carol and Doctor Cho who had followed them into the room. ”All of you, out.”

There was a brief silent pause that seemed to freeze the very air before Rogers turned to leave, guiding the two women out as he went. Tony slammed the door closed behind them and leaned back against it. Doctor Strange, Stephen, sat up a bit more fully on the bed and gestured to the empty chair to one side. Tony sat heavily, feeling his stomach dropping into his toes at the serious look upon Stephen’s face.

“We will get them back.” Tony collapsed. Tears streaming from his eyes at the complete relief those five words brought. The knowledge that he would get his son back threatening to overwhelm him. “But first, you need to develop time travel.”

“Wha..what?” The tears stopped in his shock, Tony looking up from his hands to find not a single ounce of humor on Stephen’s face.

“Invent time travel. Go back to 2012 when the Chitauri attacked, the Ancient One will be alone and we will borrow the time stone from her. Then we will return to the moment before Thanos fled and we will follow him. Freeze him in time when he reaches his destination and take the gauntlet, you will need to build a replacement gauntlet as well. Finally we return the second Time Stone to its place in time and return to now. Then we undo the snap.”

Tony’s mind reeled at the simplistic answer that Stephen had presented to him, only to snag at the last bit.

“Why wait the two year-no wait. We undo it then no reason to go back and paradox. Okay, that should work, but why? How was this the only future where we won? The snap happened, Thanos won! We lost!”

“A temporary loss, a strategic retreat. If these two years do not happen, Thano’s followers simply take up his task. With these two years, they have been dealt with and no other would dream of taking Thanos’s place. Without these two years, the wars around the galaxy would have continued, relentlessly, with these two years they move towards peace and life instead of war.” Stephen took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as he looked down at his lap, nearly whispering his last reason. “Without these two years, you would not have a daughter.”

Tony slumped back in the chair, eyes sliding the world out of focus as he relived the birth of his daughter and failed to contemplate what it would have been like without her. His vivid imagination, his prized creativity, failed him. Life itself paled in comparison to the last two years of his life and the tiny new life he had brought into the world. The world was grey and blurred as tears began to gather in his eyes. He felt selfish and yet could hear in Stephen’s voice that while almost insignificant compared to the other reasons, it was significant to him as well.

It seemed to take ages, but when he was finally able to look at the other man Stephen was staring out the window with feigned interest.

“Time travel, huh.”

“Yes.” Their eyes met with Stephen’s calm reply, it’s intensity and caring almost making Tony cry again. He slapped his thighs and stood quickly to stave them off.

“Better get to work then. You stay here and heal up.”

“Tony.” He was nearly out the door, but turned back at the soft call of his name.

“Hmm?”

“You do deserve it.” Tony blinked, opening his mouth to ask just what he deserved, but Stephen was already settling in and closing his eyes. He let it go, and left to find a way to get his son back.

Several hours later Tony sat in his dark living room.

In front of him, a successful time travel equation spun quietly in the air. At his elbow, a baby monitor sat silent and his throat threatened to close up as he looked to it and the equation.

“F.R.I.D.A.Y.” 

“Yeah, Boss?”

“Delete all record of this once we are done.” A sweep of his hand and the formula vanished into his servers as he stood up. He grabbed the baby monitor, pressing it to his chest and hearing it click against the nano-housing. “No one should have this power.”

A sound made him turn to see Pepper rubbing her eyes as she came down the stairs. 

“Tony? What are you doing up still?”

“Just thinking.” He hugged her tightly, feeling her warmth against his skin drive back the thoughts of what life would have been without her. Without Morgan. “Come on, lets get some sleep. I need to speak with Strange tomorrow and..and get some closure.”

“Good. I’ve been worried about you Tony.” Pepper hugged him back tightly, letting him feel her smile against his shoulder as she made them sway in the dim lights. “We love you and we need you here.”

“I know.”

The next morning, as he stepped into the Compound lab with Stephen; the feel of them, physically and mentally, as they danced in their dim living room stayed in Tony’s mind. Every step he and Stephen took was deliberate, his family bold in his mind and keeping him on their course.

It was far simpler than he had believed.

2012 had been nothing compared to what he had experienced after; the Chitauri and the portal far above them hardly registering as an annoyance. The Ancient One was a bit more interesting, especially the way she deconstructed Stephen with her eyes, analyzing his soul. It only took a few minutes of her staring, an occasional glance at himself, and then she was passing over the Time Stone.

They jumped forward.

Landing in Wakanda they used the Time Stone to remain just a half a second ahead, invisible to the fighters, and locked on to their target. With the Time Stone it was ridiculously easy to latch onto the energy of the other stones and get dragged along with the Mad Titan. Minutes later his blood was spilled across the distant planet and Tony was frozen, staring at the blood upon his nanobot sword.

It was done. They took the gauntlet, swiftly moving the stones to Tony’s replacement one. With a glance between them they jumped back to stand before the Ancient One again. She smiled proudly at Stephen as she took back her stone, whispering that she was very proud of who he had become. In the present, Tony laid a hand on Stephen’s shoulder, steadying him as he struggled with the emotion that visit had burst within him.

And when Stephen was steady and tall once more, he snapped his fingers and watched the world heal.


	3. Extra/Out-take

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just an extra little bit that I didn't include because I couldn't figure out a way to do it without completely breaking the speed and tone.

Tony: "How exactly did you get out of the Soul Stone though?" 

Stephen: _Flashing back to finding a tiny tear in the Soul Stone's pocket dimension and going through into another pocket dimension. Of traveling from pocket dimension to pocket dimension, telepathically communicating with their owners until he found the right Flerkin._ "Magic."


End file.
